Summarised by Centrist
NZ First’s Shane Jones is urging a review of the Waitangi Tribunal, calling it “a source of chaos” that promotes Māori sovereignty over democracy.
In response to a recent interim report by the Waitangi Tribunal, which demanded the scrapping of the coalition’s treaty reference work and ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill, Jones argued that the tribunal has exceeded its original mandate.
“This is an institution that is currently in the grip of a Marxist, activist type of thinking, which is actually not advancing Māori,” Jones stated.
Jones also expressed concern over the tribunal’s impact on economic investment, particularly citing the Marine and Coastal Area Act, which he claims has been manipulated by judicial interpretations influenced by treaty references. “This can be remedied only by changing its legal mandate,” Jones emphasised, calling for bipartisan support to redefine the tribunal’s role.
While Jones’s call for a review is likely to stir heated debate around Māori issues, he maintains that the tribunal itself is generating the controversy, rather than the wider Māori community.
“There’s not actually a great deal of heat out in the hapu and iwi. They’re more concerned about economic security and how they pay their power bills,” he said.
